Through the Ages
by Wielder of paperclips
Summary: Yoh and Anna as children, as teens, as adults. -Chapter 3 up- In which a couple of sixteen year olds take a walk in the rain, have a romantic fast food dinner, and discuss the future. Yoh x Anna. Chaptered fic.
1. Age 12

_Slightly AU (fic is based loosely on the series, does not quite follow main storyline i.e. Yoh becoming Shaman King; mainly makes use of setting)_

_Author's Note/s: _This one's short and 'moment-ful' . . .Yeah. Enjoooooooooy! XD

_Disclaimer's Note/s: _I want Yoh's EARPHONES! But they're not mine, unfortunately. ToT

* * *

**Through the Ages**

_Age 12: Addiction to the Soaps_

Everything grew silent as the tune of the _Wedding March_ came to a close. All eyes focused upon the couple standing by the altar up front.

The young woman, pretty in a skimpy pink wedding dress, batted her eyelashes shyly, and returned the gaze of the man opposite her. Blonde. Blue-eyed. Well-endowed. Typical 'perfect woman' stereotype. Her groom smiled, flashing teeth that were too white to be real. They looked as if they'd been bleached too much. Typical 'perfect man,' with the dashing looks, the over-developed torso, and the slick hair. The two looked as if they were made for each other. Apparently _they_ thought so as well. In fact, they stared into each other's eyes so much that it was pretty obvious they weren't paying attention to a word the priest was saying.

Except for that last part.

"Now . . . you may kiss the bride."

The choir burst into a jovial melody of 'Here comes the bride,' while, up front, the happy couple literally, and shamelessly lunged at each other in front of their guests. Typical soap opera sap with the sickeningly-sweet happy endings, and the overly emphasized displays of affection. It made her want to puke.

But she continued watching. Such was the grasp that under-rated soap operas had on twelve-year-old Kyouyama Anna. She was hooked, whether she liked it or not; she knew that herself, and so, in complete Anna-like nature, immediately took hold of the situation before it got out of hand.

The first person who teased her about it was silenced with a slap so hard that it chipped some of his teeth. Spectators were given _the glare_. Gossip in any form pertaining to Anna's TV addiction faded away into nonexistence, and Anna continued watching in peace.

Well, almost peace.

"What'cha watchin', Anna?" A lank form dropped on the ground beside her, and twelve-year-old Asakura Yoh peered into the small television with interest. Interest which fell from his face when he realized what was on. "A _soap opera?_ Again?"

The blonde glared at him severely, and pointed to the scant distance between them. "You are _violating_ my private space. I suggest you move away." The one person who refused to stop bothering her, despite dark threats of torture and physical pain . . . She added, a bit irritated, "What's it to you if I watch soap operas?"

The boy yawned, and leaned back on his elbows. "Well, they're boring. Can't you watch something interesting?"

_The nerve…_

"Get used to it, Asakura," she said, barely keeping the anger from breaking out into her tone. "When we're married, that's all you'll ever watch."

A pause in which she thought he was contemplating on what a dreadful life that would be. Then, "Can't you watch something interesting _before_ that, then? You might get tired of it if you start now."

_Argh! He really knew how to annoy her . . ._

". . . And it's 'Yoh.'"

She tore her eyes away from the television in spite of herself. "Huh?"

"We agreed," he lapsed into one of his easy smiles, "that you'd call me 'Yoh'."

Anna frowned. "And when did I ever agree to that?" _I don't recall…_ "You are my future husband, so I'll call you as I see fit."

The boy shrugged. "Okay, but I'll keep calling you 'Anna,' since it's much shorter than 'Kyouyama.'"

Anna almost hit him, but thought better. _Laid-back fool . . . _He probably would forget the pain once it had gone, and would go on talking to her in such an annoyingly familiar fashion. He would only take the hint if she ignored him, so she refocused her attention to the television and set off to do just that.

But before completely immersing herself in soap opera heaven, she had to impress her authority upon the mind of the infuriating boy that was her fiancée. "If you do not move away from me in _five seconds_, I will have your training _tripled_, without water breaks," she said frigidly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him jump away from her as a panicked deer would from a predator. "You wouldn't, would you, Anna?" She sensed fear. Good.

She hmph-ed, and started watching the high school drama that had replaced the wedding. The sixteen-year-old girl in a skimpy sailor outfit was going to declare her love via love letter to the bishounen captain of the school's baseball team. She couldn't miss this. "Aren't you late for a training session with Yohmei-sama?" she asked, forgetting, rather than ignoring, his question as the show took hold of her attention.

"AH! You're right!" Yoh cried, going into a new wave of panic. "Thanks for reminding me! Ah . . . Jiichan's going to be _so_ mad!" He jumped to his feet, and bolted out the door, and, for a moment, she could hear his footsteps pounding away.

But he came back all of a sudden, and stuck his head back into the room. "Oh, and thanks for talking to me, Anna. We'll do this again sometime, ne? See you later!"

He was gone by the time she turned to give him another one of her glares, so, grumbling, she returned her attention to her show.

_Yoh no baka._

**End

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**

_Author's Note/s: _Ending's too abrupt . . . Oh well.


	2. Age 14

_Slightly AU (fic is based loosely on the series, does not quite follow main storyline i.e. Yoh becoming Shaman King, mainly makes use of setting)_

_Author's Note/s: _This chapter is dedicated to the strawberry ice cream that I had in _Shangri La_ during Mother's day. I had about six servings of it . . . and I would've had more had we not left so early. ToT

_Disclaimer's Note/s: _Don't own the characters, but I do own the fictional strawberry ice cream. Drool with me, people!

* * *

**Through the Ages**

_Age 14: Discussions and Strawberry Ice Cream_

Fourteen-year-old Kyouyama Anna settled herself on the floor, and switched on the small television situated in one corner of the room. The _Wedding_ _March_ blasted, unbidden, in full volume, and had her momentarily stunned, clutching her ears. It was only when her head stopped pounding that she looked up to find her savior – a sweat-drenched brunette fresh from his training routine – leaning back from the screen.

"You really shouldn't turn the volume up so high, Anna," fourteen-year-old Asakura Yoh told her, grinning, as he headed for the refrigerator on the other side of the room. "Our neighbors might sue us for disturbing the peace or something."

Anna glared at his back before returning her eyes to the television. "For _your_ information, Yoh, it was probably that blue-headed idiot (1) – NOT me – who did this. I swear, if I see him in this house _one more time_, I'll have him thrown into a pit, and buried _alive._" She hated freeloaders more than anything.

_And I'd like to see anyone try to sue _me she glowered to herself. _They'll regret ever being born._

On the glowing screen, a woman in a scandalously pink wedding gown was walking down the aisle, her wavy yellow hair scattered all over her shoulders, her long eyelashes fluttering. Memory stirred at the back of Anna's mind.

_This seems familiar . . ._

The blonde wrinkled her brow, forgetting the thought. "Her dress clashes with the flooring," she muttered, eying the pink gown and the bright red carpet with distaste.

Suddenly, the smell of sweat and strawberries assailed her nose. "Oh? Since when did you become a color expert?" Yoh dropped down beside her, a small can of ice cream in one hand, and two spoons in the other. "Want some?" He shook the can. "It's strawberry."

She rejected his offer, and pointed to the screen. "It doesn't take a color expert to see that _that_ woman and whoever planned her wedding have _no_ taste whatsoever," she said flatly.

Yoh glanced at the wedding scene, digging a spoon directly into the ice cream container, and turned back to Anna. "Does it matter?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "Of course it does, Yoh. Wedding are one of the most important events in a couple's life. Weddings signify a couple's willingness to stay together for the rest of their life spans. Weddings are _special_, so, therefore, they must be _perfect_."

The dark-haired shaman spooned some strawberry ice cream into his mouth, his expression thoughtful. "Buh wha ih (2)" – he swallowed down the dessert – "the wedding's not perfect?"

_He says the strangest things . . . _She raised an eyebrow. "Not perfect how?"

Yoh pressed the spoon to his mouth a moment, then proceeded to re-attack the ice cream. "Like, say, the rings get lost, or the groom trips on the bride's gown on their way out." He grunted with effort as he struggled to get a decent spoonful of the frozen delicacy. "Will the wedding be ruined by those sorts of things?"

"Of course not," Anna huffed, realizing that he'd won one over her. "The rings can always be replaced, and the couple won't be any less happier if something embarrassing happens." _But I still don't like the color of her gown . . ._ She thought, refusing to accept it.

"Ah . . . Hey, didn't we see this show before, back then when we were living with Jiichan and Baachan?" Yoh stared at the screen, hard, sticking the spoon of strawberry sweetness into his mouth.

_Huh? He didn't notice . . . ?_

"Yagh! Uhm pohibib nao! (3)" – a loud swallow – "I remember seeing that couple walking down the aisle together towards the end! Eww . . . I never knew it was _this_ sappy. Why d'you watch these things?"

_Yep. Didn't notice at all._

Anna didn't know whether to be relieved or exasperated that her future husband's attention span was so short.

"Ugh! They practically _jumped_ on each other! What's the big deal, anyway? The man only said to 'Kiss the bride,' and they're going all out like the world's about to end!"

She sighed inwardly. _I suppose that it's better this way . . ._

"Yoh?"

"When are they going to _stop?_ It's been _two minutes_ now!"

". . . _Yoh_."

"Yeah, yeah, wait a sec. I'm timing this . . . Aw, _three minutes!_" Yoh made a gagging noise.

Anna didn't like being ignored for a television show. She slammed her fist into the side of her fiancée's face, and folded her arms. "Who's hooked _now?_"

"Itai . . . Anna, that _hurt,_" Yoh sobbed, rubbing his red cheek. He turned mournful, brown puppy dog eyes on her. "You usually say my name a third time before you punch me. I only counted _two!_"

_. . . What does _that_ have to do with anything!_

A vein near her temple throbbed dangerously. "Yoh no _baka_. If you KNEW you were going to be punched, why didn't you stop?"

The shaman stopped rubbing his cheek, and stared at her, eyes wide. "Eh? I never thought of that . . ."

Anna wanted to slam her head on the floor. Repeatedly.

"But now that you mentioned it . . ." Yoh grinned at her, and his tone suddenly changed into something like fondness, "I think it's because it's fun to see you all flustered."

_What . . . ?_ She stared.

The idiot was just smiling again. He always smiled, sometimes for no reason at all. She thought that it made him look like an airhead, but now that he was smiling because of her . . . _for_ her . . . She hurriedly willed away the warmth that threatened to spread across her cheeks. He was teasing her, but the tone of his voice back there . . .

She looked away and pretended to focus her attention on the fairytale couple on the TV, who were currently parading down the aisle amidst much cheering and shouting.

"Don't you have some grocery shopping to do?" she asked, cool and composed. "I gave you the list this morning."

"Groceries? Ah . . ." he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I was going to get them later."

"Get them _now_."

"Aww . . . but _Anna_ –"

"_Do_ you want me to make dinner, or not?"

"What?" The boy didn't bother to hide his surprise. "You're cooking tonight?"

"You have a problem with that?" the itako asked listlessly.

"Well . . . _no_, but . . ." he chuckled, "You hardly ever cook. What's the occasion?"

"Does there have to be one?" She tore her eyes away from the screen to look at him impassively. "If you don't want me to cook then say so, and _stop bothering me._" There was no missing the threat in her tone.

He backed away, grinning nervously. "No! You can cook, Anna! By all means!"

"Then," she lifted herself on one knee, and leaned her face in close to his, "get the food or it's two hundred push-ups and no breakfast for you."

"Ehe," Yoh sweatdropped, "I'm going – honest!" He stood up to leave, then paused. "Ah, and Anna, I left the ice cream there in case you change your mind about wanting some. It's really good!"

She glared at him.

He winced, gave a small wave, and a "Ja! I'm going now!" And was gone in a thrice.

_I don't know what'd happen to that idiot if I were not here to keep him in line. Honestly . . . _Anna stretched a bit before lying down on the floor. She frowned in annoyance when she saw that the cast and credits began appearing from the bottom of the screen. _Made me miss my show . . ._

"I'll make him buy me a cake tomorrow, and I won't give him any," she muttered. Her eyes strayed to the little can of dessert not far away from her grasp. She reached over, and brought it closer to her.

_What's so good about ice cream, anyway?_

She popped the lid open, and examined the can's pink contents. Then, taking the extra spoon Yoh'd brought, she experimentally dug it inside. The ice cream had softened so it was relatively easy for her to get a decent spoonful. When she put the spoon into her mouth, she couldn't help but make a small noise of approval. It really _was_ good.

_Did I say cake?_ she thought, a small, smug smile forming on her usually stoic face, _I meant strawberry ice cream. I'll have him buy a whole can, and eat it myself. In front of him. That'll teach him._

Nobody teases Kyouyama Anna and gets away with it. _No one. . . _

But then . . . She was letting him off pretty easy, though she didn't want to admit it.

**End

* * *

**

(1) By 'blue-headed idiot', Anna is referring to Boro-boro– Ah, I mean, Horo-horo.  
(2) "Buh wha ih" : "But what if."  
(3) "Yagh! Uhm pohibib nao!" : "Yeah! I'm positive now!"

_Author's Note/s:_ The ending was rather abrupt in my opinion. Oh well. I encourage all you people to REVIEW and gush on and on about that wonderful topic that is strawberry ice cream and how even _it_ has that magical power to bring two people together. Man, love is messed up.


	3. Age 16

_Slightly AU (fic is based loosely on the series, does not quite follow main storyline i.e. Yoh becoming Shaman King, mainly makes use of setting)_

_Author's Note/s: _Okay… after this, expect a late chapter 4. School's killing me slowly from the inside… like those blue tunnel spider things in that short story in the Artemis Fowl Files. So in short, my imagination's a bit rusty and clogged with various concepts such as acceleration, free fall, treasure hunting, cosine, sine, tangent, alpha, beta, _panitikan_, _balita_, _talambuhay_, Iliad, Honor and Pride, debate, pronouns, subject-verb agreement, opportunity cost, market economy, economic systems, bathroom cleaning, money management, okir, acrylic paint, naga, blah… blah… blah… Yes, I've been busy. Plus there's the college entrance exams coming up… Bweh. The fluff's a bit… off. Sorry, am not that much of a fluff writer. Having said my piece, read away, my good people so that you may not have to endure my mindless chatter!

_Disclaimer's Note/s: _I am an overworked, physically fatigued, mentally unstable being who is grinning stupidly at that thought. XD

* * *

**Through the Ages**

_Age 16: A Bit of Realization_

"It's a beautiful day today!" crooned the corpulent weatherman, gesturing to a moving map of some sort behind him. He pointed to some obscure region, and continued, "The sun will be shining, the birds will be chirping . . . Put away all those umbrellas, you young folk, and get out of your houses! Take a walk with your loved ones, take time out of your busy schedules to stop and smell the flowers! No rain's going to fall in Tokyo tonight!"

Sixteen-year-old Kyouyama Anna took one look at the darkening sky, and muttered, "Yeah, right."

She could practically _hear_ the thunder rumbling from above. There was going to be rain, weatherman, or no weatherman.

_Never trust weather forecasts._

She got the remote, and flipped through the shows. Nothing interesting was ever on late in the afternoon. _What's the use of television, then? Waste of electricity._ She was thinking of having the thing removed when she heard a familiar snatch of music. She flipped back several channels, and discovered that it was coming from an old soap opera.

"I remember this," she said, a bit surprised, watching as the last of the bridesmaids walked down the red-carpeted aisle. "This is the part when . . ." Her breath caught when she heard the opening notes of the _Wedding March_. The camera focused on the large double-doors at the back of the church as they creaked open to reveal a buxom blonde in a pink wedding dress.

The itako coughed, and wrinkled her brow. "It is still as horrible as I remember," she muttered, eyeing the gown with distaste. "When I get married my gown is going to be white. Definitely." As she watched the Barbie look-alike march down the carpet, she wondered if the groom had agreed to the dress color. He looked most pleased when the camera focused on his face, and he was all but ogling at the woman when they proceeded up the steps to the altar. He never took his eyes off her . . .

_I wonder what Yoh'd think . . ._

She blinked, and paused. _Did I just _wish_ for Yoh's opinion?_ She considered the wisdom of this thought.

Come to think of it, she'd never tried asking for his opinion. They rarely talked about anything regarding their wedding. It was just like something that would eventually happen . . . Something _routine_. At least, that was how she viewed their engagement.

_Where _is_ he? _She glanced out a nearby window. _It's getting dark and the rain's going to fall soon. He's going to be drenched._

_. . . He might get sick._

Grumbling about idiot fiancées who didn't know how to take care of themselves, she shut off the television, and went out into the hall to get two raincoats and an umbrella.

-

The rain poured down hard and fast the minute Anna reached the next block. She put up the hood of her coat, and looked around. Yoh's jogging route included this area, but the shaman in question was nowhere to be seen. He'd probably been slacking again. She sighed inwardly, and headed towards the park.

Everything was so dismal and gray. And wet. She scrunched her nose, and waited till her eyes adjusted to the dimness.

Trees. Lots and lots of trees and bushes and greenery that all didn't look quite so green. But no Yoh. She was about to call out his name when she spotted a boy's slouching figure seated on one of the benches not far away. She approached him silently, till she was able to make out the familiar orange headphones hanging behind his ears, and the dark hair that hung in wet strands just above his shoulders. Then she noticed the way his clothes seemed darker, and the way they stuck to his body . . .

"Yoh," she said sternly, "What are you doing?"

Sixteen-year-old Asakura Yoh turned his head in her direction, and raised one of the arms dangling from the bench's backrest in a lazy wave. "Yo, Anna," he greeted, a peaceful smile on his face. He didn't seem surprised by her arrival. "What're you doing here?"

"Don't change the subject. You're all wet." She frowned harder. "You idiot, you might catch a cold."

"No I won't." The shaman turned his face back towards the sky, and closed his eyes, allowing the rain to fall on his cheeks. "Try this, Anna. It's very soothing."

As she watched him enjoy the rain, she felt some of her crossness disappear. It was hard being angry at him for an extended period of time. He looked so relaxed . . .

She sighed gustily, and tossed the extra raincoat onto his lap. "Baka, _I_ don't want to get sick. Put that on."

"Hai, hai," he said, standing up. "Thanks."

She watched him fumble with the coat for a few seconds, and frowned. "You're doing it all wrong." She tapped her foot impatiently. When he put his arm through the wrong sleeve, she stomped towards him and snatched the garment from his hands.

"–Hey! I was about to get it!"

"Stop whining, and _stick your arms out._"

Yoh obeyed immediately.

"Honestly, Yoh . . ." Anna muttered, under her breath as she slipped the coat on the right way, "You shouldn't depend on me so much. However will you manage your duties as the Shaman King if you don't even know how to put on a raincoat right? Hold _still_." She turned him around, and pulled up the zipper in front. Then she tugged the sides of the garment to straighten it. When she was satisfied with her work, she looked up . . . and found him watching her with laughing eyes. "What?"

"'Behind every great man is a woman,'" he quoted. "I don't think I'd be able to function properly without you, Anna. Besides . . ." his grin turned sheepish, yet at the same time gentle, as he pulled up his hood and admitted, "It's nice to have you fussing over me like that."

Anna stared at him, at a loss in how to react. She was like that when Yoh caught her off-guard. It didn't happen often, but when it did . . .

Suddenly, she was aware of how close they were. She nearly jumped back, but didn't upon reasoning that it would look unnatural and would only lead to uncomfortable questions. But their proximity was beginning to bother her, and, without warning, she felt her cheeks begin to flood with warmth. On impulse, she looked down, thanking the gods it was dark enough to cover up her reddening face.

"Is something bothering you, Anna?" Suddenly, Yoh was in her line of vision, squatting on the floor. He looked pretty worried. "You look kind of red . . ."

_To heck with darkness._

"I'm fine," she replied, straightening, willing her facial muscles to be expressionless.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"That's good." An easy smile replaced the worry that didn't suit him, and he stood up. Then, suddenly, he tapped the side of one fist on his open palm. "Ah!"

Anna glanced at him, eyebrow raised. "Ah?"

"Did you make dinner at home?"

"Of course not," she replied, narrowing her eyes at him, "Since Tamao's not here, that's _your_ job."

"Good! Let's eat out!" He sounded very excited.

Anna gave him a look which plainly stated 'Are you serious?'

"I'll treat you, Anna! C'mon, _please?_"

"Why?" The blonde crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't want to eat in a fast food stall, or even in a restaurant."

"Then we could always order take out!"

"The food will not be fresh once we get home."

"Then we won't eat at home!"

_Ugh. I give up._

"If I don't like it, Yoh," she threatened, "if I don't like it one bit, then you'll have to jog around the park _a hundred times_."

"Okay!" he agreed, nodding vigorously.

_Is he that confident that I'll like it?_ Anna wondered. She was pulled out of her reverie when she felt her arm being tugged.

"C'mon!" Yoh said, holding her hand. "We'll have to run there to avoid any lines!"

Suddenly, the itako found herself being half-dragged out of the park, and into the streets. The downpour had slowed to a drizzle by then, so it was relatively easier to see things . . . All she was looking at, however, was her fiancée's back. Sometimes, _sometimes_, she just couldn't figure out what when on in his head. He wasn't sane, though. That she was sure of. Any sane person wouldn't have the guts to yank Kyouyama Anna off her feet in such a vulgar manner.

_And she allowed him to do so . . ._

Although she dreaded the thought of growing lenient, Anna's eyes softened just the slightest bit.

-

"Fast food." Anna's voice was tight. Yoh had just come out of the store, and the two were walking down a sidewalk. It had stopped raining by that time, so both had their hoods down.

The dark-haired shaman hugged the fragrant bags to his chest, and inhaled deeply. On his face was a look of pure bliss. "Not just any kind of fast food, Anna!" he said, tone and demeanor similar to a child who has received a new toy, "it's from Silva's new fast food joint!"

"I fail to see how that makes any difference," the blonde replied coldly. "I hate fast food."

"Aw, c'mon, Anna! You haven't even tried it yet!"

"I don't have to try it to know that I won't like it." She frowned at him. "Where are you taking us, anyway?"

"There!" Yoh pointed to a bench not very far off from where they stood. It wasn't just any bench, though. And there was a red vending machine next to it.

Anna stopped, recognition kicking in. "Is that . . .?"

"Yep." Yoh walked passed her, and sat on one side. "I'm surprised you still remember," he remarked, grinning up at her. "I'd have thought you'd consider that time insignificant."

_Insignificant . . . huh?_

Anna watched as Yoh immediately attacked the bags of food. He was officially oblivious to everything else now that he was eating. Men were like that. She walked over and sat next to him, leaning back and folding her arms.

She and Yoh had stood there by that railing a few steps away from the bench, staring at the immense body of water that reflected their image. That was two years ago, before Yoh and the other participants in the Shaman Fight had to go to America. The day itself was nothing special. She and Yoh just went out for a walk, talked about several things . . .

Something that smelled oddly like cheese appeared under her nose.

"Try this." Yoh shoved a greasy package into her hands. "It's a cheese burger."

"I know what a cheese burger looks like, baka," she retorted, taking it reluctantly. She peeled away part of the wrapping and wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, it looks disgusting. How can you eat these?"

"They're good," he said. "Try it."

Anna took a small, hesitant bite.

Yoh watched her expectantly. "Well . . . ?"

_It's . . . good._

"It'll pass," she replied, trying to look nonchalant as she took a bigger bite.

Noticing this, Yoh hid a smile, and reached back into the bag. "Here." He presented Anna with a bunch of fries. "These too."

The itako was too engrossed with her burger to criticize. She took a piece, and nibbled it. Then, "It'll pass as well."

Yoh's grin widened.

Several minutes later, the shaman leaned further into the bench, patting his happy stomach. "Ah," he sighed contentedly, "This's the life, eh, Anna?"

The blonde didn't reply.

"Anna?" Yoh glanced at her serious face. She looked as if she were contemplating. "Are you thinking about something?"

Anna intertwined her fingers together, and leaned forward on her thighs.

"Care to talk to me about it?" he asked gently.

She bit her lower lip, unsure of how to phrase what she wanted to say. "Yoh . . . would white be okay with you?"

"Huh?"

She frowned. "Is your hearing that bad? I said 'would white be okay with you?'"

"Anna," he laughed, "I heard the question. I was just wondering what you meant by white."

"I meant my wedding dress."

Bewilderment entered his face and tone. "Wedding dress?" he said incredulously, "Isn't it a bit early for you to be thinking of those things?"

"I'll think of them when I want to," Anna replied, looking over her shoulder to glare at him. "Now answer the question."

"Wow Anna . . ." His hand went to the back of his neck. "I wouldn't mind even if it were multicolored! It's your dress, isn't it?"

The blonde sighed at the incompetence and tactlessness of men. "Is it _that_ difficult for you to answer a simple yes-no question?"

A shrug. "It depends."

Anna nearly groaned aloud in frustration. "Your answer, Asakura," she said witheringly.

"Yes, white would be okay."

She stood up. "Thank you. Now take me home."

"But y'know, Anna," he added quietly, "anything else _you_ prefer would be fine with me, too." Somehow, she got the feeling that he was not referring to the dress anymore.

Though she pretended to not hear him, a small smile crossed her face.

-

The walk home was spent in silence. Even Yoh didn't attempt to break it. Once they were inside, however, he was the first to speak.

"That was fun, ne, Anna?" His voice held a happy, bouncy note in it. "Let's do this again sometime!"

"Not often," she replied complacently, taking off her shoes. "You still have to train."

"We'll go again, then?" He sounded absolutely astonished. "You didn't say no."

She took one look at his glowing, excited face, and couldn't help but let a smile slip out. "Yes, Yoh, we'll do this again."

Suddenly, the ear-to-ear grin that he had on changed into . . . something else.

She frowned. "What's wrong now?"

"Anna," he murmured breathlessly, as if he couldn't believe himself. "You smiled for me . . ."

Her face flamed on full force. Surely she had not expected _this_. "That-that's ridiculous," she stammered, "Why would I smile for _you?_" _Blast that disturbing perceptiveness of his!_

Fortunately for her, Yoh decided to drop it. "Nah, you're right. I haven't earned it yet. But I will, though," he said rather determinedly, fists clenched. If he noticed that she went a shade redder than before, he had the grace not to say anything about it. "I'll go use the bath first, 'kay, Anna? All that rain water made me sticky."

"Wh-whatever." Her nerves were still a bit rattled, and the abrupt change of subject was not helping.

"Ah, and Anna . . ." Suddenly his face was over her shoulder, so close that she froze. "Don't get mad." Before she could ask him what the heck he was talking about, he leaned in closer, and planted a feather-light kiss on her cheek. "Night, Anna." She turned, and caught on his face a fleeting look of tenderness before he disappeared up the stairs.

He was getting too daring for comfort. And she couldn't do anything about it. Sighing, Anna stripped off her raincoat, and folded it. _You're not getting off easy for doing that, Asakura._

-

The next morning, as Yoh was about to leave for his daily jog around the block, Anna stopped him by the door.

"An extra fifty laps," she told him, straight-faced, "for that stunt you pulled yesterday."

"Easy," he grinned, strapping on weights to his wrists, and ankles. He turned to leave, but paused, and turned back. Anna watched him with a raised eyebrow, as he approached her . . . and her eyes widened as he took her shoulders, and gently pulled her towards him. And kissed her cheek once more. "Make that a hundred," he said casually. "Ja, Anna!" He gave her a small, cheerful wave, and was out of the house before she could react properly.

_Too daring . . . _

"Baka," she muttered under her breath. She stepped out into the front yard, and found the shaman jogging towards the streets. "Yoh no BAKA," she yelled at his retreating form, "if you EVER do that AGAIN, I'll make you do THREE HUNDRED!"

Yoh grinned at her from over his shoulder, and disappeared around the tall fence.

His companion rode up next to him in a small bicycle. "What'd you do to her, Yoh?" Oyamada Manta asked, worried. "She sounded pretty ticked-off."

Yoh shrugged innocently, though the smile on his face did not waver. "I dunno. I just said good bye."

**End

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_Author's Note/s:_ I ended with Yoh this time. Feels a bit odd. XD Hope you liked it, guys. Remember: the easiest way to inspire a writer is to send in a review. We witers need some love and attention, y'know. Gives us some direction in life. XP


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